Anime like Runway de Waratte

Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru

Also known as My Dress-Up Darling.

Studio: CloverWorks , Aniplex , Square Enix , Movic , TOKYO MX , BS11 , Studio Mausu
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

High schooler Wakana Gojou cares about one thing: making Hina dolls. With nobody to share his obsession, he has trouble finding friends—or even holding conversation. But after the school’s most popular girl, Marin Kitagawa, reveals a secret of her own, he discovers a new purpose for his sewing skills. Together, they’ll make her cosplay dreams come true!



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Fashion , Male Protagonist , Heterosexual , Primarily Teen Cast , Female Protagonist , Gyaru , Seinen , Photography , Slapstick , Coming of Age , Urban , School , Makeup , Unrequited Love , Tsundere , Nudity

Paradise Kiss

Studio: MADHOUSE , Aniplex , Fuji TV , Dentsu
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Hayasaka Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school every day. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who have a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss." The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari. Initially reluctant to be associated with this seemingly eccentric group, she eventually realizes they are really nice people. Furthermore, their passion and enthusiasm to follow their ideals make Yukari realize she has not been enjoying her life and thus motivates her to pursue her own dreams. The story follows Yukari as she gets involved in the group and eventually falls in love with the leader, George.



Tags: Coming of Age , Fashion , Makeup , Josei , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , School Club , LGBTQ+ Themes , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Crossdressing , Transgender , Modeling , School , Bisexual , Boys' Love , Gender Bending , Mixed Media

Ballroom e Youkoso

Also known as Welcome to the Ballroom.

Studio: Production I.G
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sports

Fujita has drifted through middle school aimlessly, unable to find friends or anything that can hold his attention. Then, one day, he's attacked by a gang and saved by a mysterious man. But this isn't a karate master; it's a ballroom dance instructor! Reluctantly, Fujita takes a few beginner's classes, only to find his inspiration... an entrancing, teenage dance prodigy named Shizuku.
It's Fujita's first step into the high-octane world of competitive dance!



Tags: Dancing , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , School , LGBTQ+ Themes , Bullying , Rehabilitation , CGI , Tomboy

Kuragehime

Also known as Princess Jellyfish.

Studio: Funimation , Brain's Base , Asmik Ace , Sony Music Entertainment , Sakura Create , Fujipacific Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life

Plain, timid and obsessed with jellyfish, Tsukimi is a far cry from her idea of a princess. Her tepid life as a jobless illustrator comes complete with roommates who harbor diehard hobbies that solidify their status as hopeless social rejects. These wallflowers run a tight, nun-like ship, but their no-men-allowed-not-no-one-not-no-how bubble is unwittingly burst after Tsukimi brings home a rescued sea jelly and a beauty queen... who's actually a guy.

When the threat of losing their cozy convent inspires this glamour boy to turn the neurotic entourage into a portrait of success, will Tsukimi take her chance to bloom, or will she end up a hot mess?



Tags: Josei , Slapstick , Female Protagonist , Crossdressing , Primarily Adult Cast , Otaku Culture , Makeup , Primarily Female Cast , Found Family , Femboy , Gender Bending , Fashion , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Love Triangle , Urban , LGBTQ+ Themes , Politics , Drawing

Nami yo Kiitekure

Also known as Wave, Listen to Me!.

Studio: Sunrise , DMM pictures
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

On a drunken night out to complain about an ex, Minare Koda absentmindedly shares too much information with a stranger from the radio station. The next morning, she’s shocked to hear her voice on the radio. Bursting into the station with intentions to justify her previous night’s rant quickly turns into an interview on-air and the offer to share her chaotic life with an unsuspecting audience!



Tags: Work , Female Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Seinen , Restaurant , Urban , Educational , Food , CGI

Skip Beat!

Also known as Skip Beat!.

Studio: Hal Film Maker , TV Tokyo Music
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Romance

Kyouko followed her true love and childhood friend Shou to Tokyo so she could help him reach his dream of becoming an idol. She cleans, cooks, works three jobs and does nothing for herself because she loves him so much, but gets nothing in return. Still, she remains by his side. But then one day she goes unannounced to his agency with a delivery, and overhears him talking about her; he reveals to his manager that he only took her with him as a maid, and that he doesn't care for her at all. Upon hearing this, Kyouko doesn't just sit around and cry. She cuts and dyes her hair, changes her clothes and attitude and thus begins her journey to join showbiz and have her revenge against Shou.



Tags: Acting , Revenge , Female Protagonist , Work , Shoujo , Coming of Age , Idol , Heterosexual , Fashion

Kageki Shoujo!!

Also known as Kageki Shojo!!.

Studio: PINE JAM , King Records
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

The curtain rises on the Kouka School of Musical and Theatrical Arts. Spotlight on Sarasa Watanabe, a starry-eyed 5'10" student who dreams of performing as Oscar, a male lead role. She forms an unlikely friendship with her new roommate, a former idol who now also hopes to join the all-female Kouka Acting Troupe. Together, they’re in for the role of a lifetime.



Tags: Acting , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , School , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Shoujo , Aromantic , Primarily Teen Cast , Musical Theater , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Crossdressing , Body Image , Kabuki , Idol , Work , Otaku Culture , Twins , Age Gap , Yuri

Blue Period

Also known as Blue Period.

Studio: Seven Arcs , DMM music , Kodansha , DMM pictures , Mainichi Broadcasting System , Bit grooove promotion , Netflix
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life

The studious Yatora leaves a dry life of study and good manners behind for a new passion: painting. But untethering yourself from all your past expectations is dangerous as well as thrilling…



Note: The anime premiered on Netflix on Sep 25, 2021 in Japan. The TV broadcast started on Oct 2, 2021.

Tags: Drawing , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , School , Philosophy , Educational , Seinen , Primarily Teen Cast , School Club , Transgender , Bisexual , Time Skip , Urban , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Femboy , Nudity

2.5 Jigen no Ririsa

Also known as 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.

Studio: J.C.STAFF , ADK Emotions , Pony Canyon , Aiming , BANDAI SPIRITS , Movic , J.C.STAFF , Shueisha , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance , Slice of Life

“I have no interest in real girls!”

So claims Okumura, the president of the school’s manga club. He’s your typical otaku, obsessed with a sexy (fictional) 2D manga character known as Lilliel. Then the new school year starts, and a (real!) 3D girl named Lilysa whose passion is cosplay joins the club. Lilysa convinces Okumura to become her photographer–and guess who her favorite manga character is? Not only that, but Lilysa is into modeling the fetishy stuff! The boundaries between 2D and 3D start to blur as this hot-blooded romantic comedy unfolds.



Tags: Cosplay , Otaku Culture , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , School Club , Heterosexual , Female Harem , Photography , Shounen , Love Triangle , Gyaru , Nudity , Crossdressing , LGBTQ+ Themes

Chihayafuru

Also known as Chihayafuru.

Studio: MADHOUSE , VAP , Nippon Television Network , Sentai Filmworks
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

Chihaya Ayase has spent most of her life supporting her sister’s model career. When she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, he thinks Chihaya has potential to become a great karuta player. As Chihaya dreams of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends. Now in high school, Chihaya still plays karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again.



Tags: Karuta , Female Protagonist , School Club , Josei , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , School , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Unrequited Love , Athletics , Tomboy , Bullying , CGI , Slapstick